Sleepy Sun's miles, months, and days in the van are a tangible presence in Spine Hits, an LP of whimsy, restlessness, and urgency that leaps nimbly from landscape to landscape with ease, irreverence, and a catch-em-before-they-ain't changeling nature. For the most part, the sprawling Zeppelin-esque epics that defined much of Embrace and Fever have been traded in for a potent pop-compact framework. But never at the expense of the dodging, juking, and downshifting instincts that set their older long form pieces apart from a thousand other psychedelic drone warriors.
Recorded under the big skies of the California high desert with Queens of Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal alumnus Dave Catching, the jams on Spine Hits are alternatingly precision whittled and moodily muscular. Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss' guitars adroitly move from steamroller heavy to beachside airy and bouncing to interstellar- tinkering with texture and dynamics like never before. Vocalist Bret Constantino sings with a road-toughened, husky soul yowl and hush that occasionally betrays a society-weary frustration but more often hints at a way out. The rhythm section of drummer Brian Tice and Jack Allen is a super-cohesive, tricky, and tough-as-hell unit that keeps the Sleepy train on track as it teeters, creeps and runs wild across the land.
To any seasoned Sleepy Sun listener the new destinations will be surprises and revelations. "V.O.G." hints at a backstage conspiracy hatched on the Arctic Monkeys tour- buoyant and tight as a wire. "Boat Trip" moseys with a Lou Reed offhandedness- a postcard from Brian Wilson's forgotten vacation with the Velvets. "Still Breathing" is an elegiac nod to the band's early alignment with the Verve's dreamworlds.
For Sleepy spotters that came to love the band in its most massively rocking incarnations, there are the slow burns- "Stivey Pond" a sinister, stalking, and tender lurching beast bearing down on the subject of its obsession. And "Lioness (Requiem)" - a drifting, drowsy, late night lost in contemplation, dawn nowhere in sight.
Spine Hits isn't a portrait of a band in a moment. It's a box of snapshots spilled on the floor and blowing in the wind...left behind by a band that can't stop moving, but remembers what they left behind in a thousand colors.
New Age
Sleepy Sun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The smell cuts a glass shore under the season,
Heads roll down the hill and father keeps it still,
The sickness is trying to sit with me
Man knows god is resoluting pain for mercy,
A new age of slience calls in the sun,
No sound or song shines like the sun,
Theres peace in in the mountains where an old man sits in the warm sun
His own best friend better he once was
He does not take sweets he takes all the money,
The motions not a hint of a smile to be found,
His back keeps turning never looking out for me,
I'll scream for peace in the mountain range,
I know that we've been through this before,
We are the souls of a dying race,
I'll tell all the kids we'll burn in hell,
I'll scream for peace in the mountain range
The Sleepy Sun's "New Age" is a song that speaks to the current state of society. The lyrics paint a picture of dirty streets filled with suits and televisions, creating a sense of detachment from nature and the environment. The singer describes the smell, which cuts like a glass shore under the season. The imagery is powerful and creates a sense of hostility towards the situation.
The lyrics quickly turn towards religion, with the line "Man knows god is resoluting pain for mercy." This idea of suffering for a greater good is repeated throughout the song. The singer mentions a "new age of silence" and contrasts it with the brightness of the sun, indicating that this new age is not necessarily a positive development. The song then shifts to an old man sitting in the warm sun; he seems at peace, although he is not smiling. His back is turned, and he is not interested in the singer's outcry for peace.
The song ends with the line "I'll scream for peace in the mountain range," indicating that the singer will not give up on trying to achieve peace, even if it seems impossible. The Sleepy Sun's "New Age" is a song about the challenges of modern living, the importance of nature, and the difficulties of finding peace and purpose in a world that seems to be working against one's own values.
Line by Line Meaning
Dirty streets are filled with suits and televisions,
The streets are crowded with people in formal attire and televisions, creating an unpleasant environment.
The smell cuts a glass shore under the season,
The odor is so strong that it feels like a sharp edge penetrating the time of year.
Heads roll down the hill and father keeps it still,
People's heads are rolling downhill, but the father remains quiet and unmoved.
The sickness is trying to sit with me
The disease is attempting to affect the artist.
Man knows god is resoluting pain for mercy,
One believes that suffering is necessary to receive God's mercy.
A new age of slience calls in the sun,
A new era of stillness beckons the sun.
No sound or song shines like the sun,
There is no noise or melody as bright as the sun.
Theres peace in the mountains where an old man sits in the warm sun
An elderly man finds tranquility in the mountains sitting under the warm sun.
His own best friend better he once was
He used to be his own best friend, but he is no longer.
He does not take sweets he takes all the money,
Instead of candy, he steals all the money.
The motions not a hint of a smile to be found,
He does not display any emotions or signs of happiness.
His back keeps turning never looking out for me,
He is always avoiding the artist's gaze and never looking out for them.
I'll scream for peace in the mountain range,
The singer will cry out for serenity in the mountains.
I know that we've been through this before,
The singer recognizes that this situation has occurred previously.
We are the souls of a dying race,
The people are the souls of a vanishing group of individuals.
I'll tell all the kids we'll burn in hell,
The artist will inform kids that they will be damned to hell.
I'll scream for peace in the mountain range
The artist will shout out for harmony in the mountains.
Contributed by Logan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@avedic
oh wow :0 is this real? this is like one of those bands you hear for the first time and think...this could be the next thing to happen to music. the way the beatles and nirvana surely sounded to the first listeners. sadly i don't think stuff like that can happen in this day and age...but i hope more people hear of the band. amazing song and video. reminded me of smashing pumpkins' video for siva at times. the way it was filmed.
@datmogul
mystical, psychedelic, syrreal - i really really liked it
@panicrev555
In a genre oversaturated with Sabbath wannabe clones this is a breath of fresh air.
@NessiMorgan
Exceptional? Haha this is down right amazing :)
@pharmajoe990
Check out a band called the Myrrors if you like this. Gooooooooooooood
@darapalooza
yep that about sums it up.
@Gottasuckit
No your right, theyre probably on shrooms.
@possibleninja
Owl Volcanoes.....or.... Volcanic Owls?
@djsistae3469
eye comprende
@Gottasuckit
Acid+Musicians=wierd videos